1) Iman (Faith) - "There is none worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is the messenger of God."

2) Salah (Prayer) - Salah is the name for the prayers that are performed 5 times a day, and are a direct link between the worshiper and God.

3) Zakah (Almsgiving) - An important principle of Islam is that everything belongs to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word "Zakah" means both "purification" and "growth."

4) Sawm (Fasting) - Every year in the month of "Ramadan," all able Muslims fast from dawn until sundown; abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations with their spouses. Muslims fast for the pleasure of Allah. There are also a lot of charitable deeds. Muslims may feed a needy neighbor, feed the poor, etc. It sets them on a spiritual level because they are unable to eat or drink. So by fasting, they are not only pleasing Allah, but can also obtain a feel for people less fortunate than their selves.

5) Hajj (Pilgrimage) - The pilgrimage to Makkah (also spelled Mecca); the hajj; is an obligation only for those physically able to do so. Even so, over 2 million people perform a pilgrimage to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe. After a Muslim has carried out their pilgrimage, they have taken a step closer to God by visiting His house, the first house of worship on Earth.

The five pillars of Islam are the foundation of Muslim life: faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad; establishment of the daily ritual prayers; self-purification through fasting; and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are physically and financially able to go.

(1) Belief in Allah (God) and Mohammad (an old word referring to Jesus Christ), as expressed in the Qu'ran (a mistranslated, Syriac Christian book).
(2) Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca (an Arabic town where an imaginary pagan prophet lived).
(3) Giving of alms (Zakat, or 2.5% of income, which is 1/4 the customary alms required of other Christian sects).
(4) Fast during Ramadan (an imitation of the Lenten Christian holy month, Ramadan is related to the crescent moon)
(5) A trip to Mecca (ensures that Saudis make a lot of money and involves walking around an old Christian church now called the Kaaba)

The "Five Pillars of Islam" were invented by competing Arabic warlords in the process of creating their new religion from an older, Christian sect. In time, these groups would be known as "Sunni" and "Shia."